The Balcony
by Sophiacharlotte
Summary: This apartment had a lot of drawbacks, but she wasn't one of them. AU- Caryl - no zombies
1. Chapter 1

AN: little fluffy one shot for you. Let me know what you think :)

I do not own or profit from The Walking Dead

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

This apartment had a lot of drawbacks. The upstairs neighbours sounded like a herd of elephants stampeding from a herd of wild buffalo, stampeding from hyenas. Well Daryl assumed it would sound pretty damn similar.

The pipes leaked and the central air was temperamental at best. The apartment got muggy as fuck in the summer cold as a witch's tit in the winter.

The landlord was an asshole, bit of a perv too. Daryl had seen him leering at more women then he could count. Some pretty young too.

When he'd first had to make it, on his own, when Merle had gone to jail, it had been all he could afford, and the neighbourhood wasn't terrible. At least he'd only had his truck broken in to twice. He'd never been mugged which was saying something.

He'd worked his way through school, gotten his mechanic license, got hired on at a high end dealership that payed real well. He made good money now, he could afford better, but he stayed.

It wasn't to save money. He had nothing he needed. He was thirty two, Merle had been sent to jail for 8 years, with possible parole after 6. He wasn't trying anymore to take care of Merle, he didn't really need the nice padding his bank account was getting living under his means either. It wasn't that he was close to work. His commute was ten minutes, tops. It wasn't even the proximity to the woods.

It was her, in the other building.

The apartment building was part of a complex, several building strategically placed around parking lots. Most of the buildings were facing one another building, with small alleyways in between them. Just like his. It was facing her building.

He had a small shitty balcony. Enough for a grill, and that's about it. But he'd taken a shine to grilling, especially since she moved in.

In the apartment directly facing his, separated by the alley, was the woman he'd stayed in the apartment for the past year.

She had moved in a year ago, and she loved her little balcony too. The buildings were close enough that he could see her features and get a good look at how beautiful she was. He could see the inside of her apartment too. Not that he ever tried to, he wasn't a perv. The buildings were far enough away that he could not speak to her, not that he ever would. His crippling shyness with women would prevent that.

She had a kid, maybe two or three years old, and definitely no husband. When she had first moved in, she'd seemed so sad, she'd be out on the balcony in the evening, starring up at the sky, one night he'd watched as she wiped tears away from her face.

Gradually over the year, things seemed to get better. Now when she was out on her deck in the evening, she normally had a sketch pad and a dreamy contented smile on her.

Daryl was pretty sure there was no new guy in her life, she seemed to be home on her own every night. Lord he was pathetic, but there was something about this woman that made him care. It was the way she held herself. She seemed strong. She was graceful.

He'd caught her watching him to, and seen her blush furiously as he looked over, her head bowing back over her sketch pad as she bit her lip a spark twinkling in her eye.

Tonight he was grilling, watching her out of the corner of his eye, as she settled out on her lounger, her sketch book in hand.

She wore a pretty blouse that dipped low and accentuated her cleavage and her beautiful neck. Her hair was cut in a pixie cut and he thought it was adorable as fuck.

The phone drug him out of his thoughts. Fucking Merle, calling from jail, complaining as usual, wanting more money put in his commissary account.

Daryl turned away from the grill as he sighed, arguing with Merle about the amount. The amount wasn't the problem, it was the fact Merle was probably using it to obtain illegal drugs in prison.

She was waving at him, that's what caught his attention, jumping up and down holding her sketch book, he turned in curiosity at her and she flipped her sketch book so he could see the page. In big bold letters she'd written : CHECK YOUR GRILL.

He turned letting out a string of expletives as he saw the grill had caught fire, flames shooting up at 3feet.

Hanging up on Merle. He quickly smothered the flames with the lid and turned off the gas source. Blushing as he nodded at her, then taking the ruined meat back inside.

A thought struck him and he grabbed a large pad of paper he kept for notes and a sharpie. Heading back outside and kicking himself for what he was about to do.

She looked up as he came out, a sweet smile gracing her lips as she saw him start to write. Flipping it over he showed her what he had written.

THANK YOU- I'M DARYL

Her smile blew him away, and she opened a fresh page on her sketch book and wrote out a message.

YOU'RE WELCOME- I'M CAROL


	2. Chapter 2

AN: so, so many of you wanted this to continue, I started thinking on it, and got this idea. Can't guarantee how long this will be. I don't really have any idea where I will take it. But I aim to please ;) your reviews motivate me, what can I say.

I do own or profit from The Walking Dead

Chapter 2

It was becoming a habit she could not break.

Carol would come home from work, spend time with Sophia, put her to bed, then once her mindless chores of righting the chaos a toddler could reek on the cleanliness of her apartment she would settle, on her lounger, on her balcony, sketchbook in hand, watching him. Her neighbour Daryl.

Well she guessed neighbour was what you called someone who lived across the way, technically they were neighbours. They had not spoke, not out loud anyway. But they had been communicating since that night. That night he introduced himself so sweetly, after she flashed him a note that his grill was on fire. That was two weeks ago, she had not missed a night on the Balcony since. Neither had he.

She'd noticed him, from the beginning, the day she moved in. Carol could not help but glance over in curiosity at the apartment across the way that was technically her view. And oh what a view it was. He'd been in his kitchen, wearing only a low slung pair of jeans, as she had watched him throw an obviously dirty t shirt off of his body as he entered his apartment. Every line of his form on full display, dipping down towards the waist band of those jeans, and she'd found herself biting her lip, hoping that he would shed those next.

But he hadn't, he'd turned get a beer from the fridge, chugging it back, his back on display. All planes and angles and muscles, all beautifuly defined, all punctuated by devastating scars.

It only added to his appeal, gave him the air of a warrior having fought his way through the pain of life. Someone just like her. She felt connected to him somehow. She wished she was more than connected.

God she was such a pervert, but it was thrilling, amazing the lust that had coursed through her. For so long she'd thought that part of her was dead and gone.

She'd been twenty seven when she met Ed. Finished of a combined major, teaching and art. She'd simply wanted to teach, the one thing she loved most, art, to others who wanted to learn. She'd had a job lined up, and a few casual dates with Ed, when her parents and her sister had passed away in a car accident. She was alone, and she inherited some money. Ed was all over her vulnerability in an instant. She should have known better, but she'd fallen for it.

Three years later, she had been ashamed at how far she'd fallen, how she'd let control of her life slip away. Ed was abusive in every way possible.

She'd been vibrant before, but then when she looked in the mirror, she felt lifeless, until she found out about the life growing inside of her. She'd plotted her escape from Ed, the moment she realized she was pregnant. The pregnancy seemingly knocking sense back to her, setting her free. Sophia had been born, Ed had not even made it to the hospital.

Andrea, had helped her, she was almost ready to leave when it happened. Ed had been murdered. Seemed he'd taken her money and got involved in illegal dealings. She lost everything, but she was free.

She stayed with Andrea for a few months, until she got her life together. A job teaching at an art school a town away. A cheap apartment that wasn't in a terrible neighbourhood. A nursery school for Sophia. Life was starting over, and it seemed so was her libido if her reaction to her neighbour was any indication.

She was content to look and to watch from a distance. He became her muse, the spark that had lit the match of her libido had also set her creativity ablaze.

Even now, in her studio office at the school his face was taking shape on her canvas, her sketchbooks were filled with his face. Oh she had watched, and she had seen him notice her.

That day his grill had caught fire she'd glanced up, the sun had been hitting his face just right, combined with the haze from the smoke coming from the grill had created shadows on his face that held her spellbound. She'd glanced up, to get a better look but he was turned on the phone, his jaw set, angry and distracted.

She'd watched the grill catch fire, growing more and more before she started jumping and waving. He'd noticed her but still had not looked behind him. Scribbling a quick message had been the easiest way.

His face had been so sweet and shy when he'd come back out to thank her. She got a sense that he had some crippling shyness for some reason.

Since that night, thought, he'd been on his balcony. She saw he had a large cheap sketch book and a sharpie the next night, even if those items could be bought at a local dollar tree store she had a feeling he'd made a special trip. She'd grinned at how he blushed when she nodded and quirked her head at him as he started writing. She would probably tell him anything he asked.

 **WHAT ARE YOU DRAWING?**

Uhhhh...Except for that, she squirmed at his message, blushing brightly. She was currently sketching his chest from memory. She scribbled a message back.

 **WHAT ARE YOU DRAWING?**

She laughed at his face as he read her message and smiled as he seemed to start drawing. He turned the sketchbook to reveal a pretty competent drawing of a stick figure trying to put out a fire. Her laughter had echoed around the complex.

From that night on they had not missed a night. Every night sitting across from each other having the weirdest conversations ever, wondering what the other neighbours thought. Never once actually speaking to one another.

Carol had every intention of giving him her number, taking whatever this was to the next step, but for now she was content, because she sensed that this was easier for him. He didn't strike her as the type of man, that found it easy to talk to others. She could respect that. But tonight it was raining and she missed him, as she sat on her couch snuggled in a blanket watching the rain pound down.

She saw him, across the way, come to the patio door, and stare out towards her apartment. Like maybe he missed her too.

Making a decision she wrote out a message and made sure he was still standing there watching. She didn't want to be flashing this to anyone but him.

 **555-6688 - MY NUMBER - if you want it.**

She saw him writing it down. Then grinned as her phone alerted her to a text.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: short update for you, please let me know what you think :)

I do not own or profit from The Walking Dead.

Chapter 3

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Three weeks later

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 **I left her alone for two minutes while I went to the bathroom and she had a dozen eggs cracked on the kitchen floor, staring up at me with tears in her eyes asking me where the birds were.**

Carol smiled as she finished her long text about Sophia latest escapade and hit send. Smiling as she heard a soft echo of Daryl's laughter across the way.

Three weeks, three long weeks of long nighttime conversations, spent sitting across from each other texting back and forth. She gave up the pretext of sketching on the deck, she had enough sketches of him that her painting was taking shape. Tonight she was enjoying herself, barefoot with her feet up, wearing a pair of shorts that she doubted he could see but she was wearing for him. They hadn't even spoken face to face.

Daryl was shy, she could see that without a doubt. Having these conversations without speaking was opening him up, she hoped anyway. No sense rushing things she was more than willing to go at his pace.

It was easier to talk to him this way anyhow. She'd told him things she wasn't sure she could. About her marriage and Ed's death. He'd told her about his brother being in jail and she got the feeling from him that he was incredibly lonely. It broke her heart.

She didn't pity him, not at all, but someone so...good, he was a good person, deserved to be happy, somewhere in the back of her mind she realized that the same could apply to her too.

She took pleasure in teasing him. As many sexual innuendoes as she could think of. Giggling at how she could see him blush from across the way. She sent him jokes and funny memes, she loved hearing his laughter from across the alley way.

He never seemed to mind though, although it usually took him a long time to answer, the dots that indicated he was composing a text would buffer for what seemed like minutes, before she'd get a **Stop** with a smiley face, in return, or a blushing emoji. It was cute. He was incredibly sweet, and a good listener. He always asked how Sophia was, he always asked about Carol's day. It was nice to know that he cared. She was half way head over heels in love with him and they hadn't even spoke.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Daryl watched her from across the way. Damn those shorts she was wearing showed off her legs for miles. He'd gotten a good look when she'd come outside a fussed with her potted plants, bending this way and that way. Fuck she was going to kill him.

He seen her last night. He couldn't sleep he'd been sitting on his couch flicking through the channels and he'd seen walk into her kitchen in a spaghetti strap nightie that barely covered her ass. Fuck, she had a great gave up on sleeping after that. He'd needed a cold shower.

She was easy to talk to, too. He'd never found this easy, talking to women. His experience with sex consisted of drunken hook ups. Carol was someone he could be serious about. She was special, and he wanted...more. He thought about her all the time. Everyday he thought about going to her building, or asking her if they could meet. But he just could not get past the feeling that she would reject him. After all he wasn't that appealing. Self doubt and shyness were playing on his insecurities. He didn't think someone like her could be interested in him. He texted her back.

 **She sounds pretty great :) she must get that from you.**

Jesus Christ what was wrong with him. A happy face? Good lord was he thirteen?

He groaned as he saw the dots indicating she was typing.

 **Awww Pookie, you're pretty great too, and you provide an excellent view from this lowly balcony.**

She'd started calling him Pookie a week ago when he told her he had a Garfield teddy bear as a child. He blushed furiously then snorted before he answered her.

 **Not much of a view.**

He saw her typing almost immediately. Her text popping up on screen.

 **Can I show you something? I promise I'm not a stalker...don't get creeped out?**

He laughed and answered yeah, then watched as she opened her every present sketch book and started snapping pictures, his heart pounded in his chest. He'd been asking her to show him her sketches, but she never would. He felt like she was trusting him with something big. A part of herself she kept private.

Suddenly he started to receive pictures, as texts, they were filling his screen. Sketches of him, of his face, from every angle possible. He was dumbstruck. Looking up at her he saw she was texting something.

 **You're the most beautiful man I've known meet inside and out...can we meet?**


	4. Chapter 4

AN: new chapter:) loving your reviews, let me know what you think

I do not own or profit from The Walking Dead

Chapter 4

Fuck fuck fuck, what the fuck were you supposed to wear on a date?

Daryl stared at his closet, refilling through his meeger collection of clothes. Most of what he had was grease stained. He had exactly one collared shirt and a tie he'd bought for the interview at the Porsche dealership. He'd thought it was an upscale place, they'd want him to put in an effort.

They hadn't cared. The guys wore coveralls provided by the dealership, so as long as you weren't sporting wild hair or face tats there wasn't much of a dress code. It was a boring job, but they paid well, better than most places. He'd never invested much in a wardrobe though, hadn't been a reason to. He wasn't wearing the suit and tie. He was already nervous being uncomfortable would not help.

He scowled to himself as he pulled another stained sleeveless shirt from his closet with a sigh. What the fuck was he going to wear on this date? If this was a date, she said can we meet, that had to be a date. Said Sophia was going to her friend Andreas for the night, wanted him to pick her up. That was definitely a date. He assumed it was, maybe he shouldn't assume, and what the fuck was he going to wear!

He sighed in frustration pounding his head against the wall beside the closet. He should have went shopping, but he hated shopping. He never realized how many stained sleeveless shirts he owned. Fuck maybe he should reschedule, this was probably just a hey let's meet, we're friends right? She couldn't be interested in him, but then an image flashed through his mind, of her sketch of him, his upper chest on display. He never looked at himself that way, but he had to admit she must see him,...differently. Fuck it he thought and stepped in front of his closet. No excuses, he was doing this.

Just then a Christmas gift bag that he'd stashed in the back of his closet caught his eye. Maggie Rhee, the secretary at the dealership, was married to the head salesman: Glenn, had organized a secret Santa this year at work and she'd ended up pulling Daryl's name.

She'd given him a expensive looking soft blue flannel button up shirt, smiling at his mumbled thanks she'd grinned "Don't knock it, you never know when you might need a nice shirt. It matches your eyes." He pulled it out and pulled it on. Fuck he needed to remember to bring her a coffee on Monday. She saved his ass. Now to work on his hair.

He was trying to make heads or tail of his mop, when his phone rang. Sighing he put the phone on speaker as he tried to make some order out of his hair. Why the hell he hadn't got a haircut he wasn't sure. Well he was sure he hated having to sit there awkwardly as they tried to make conversation with him.

"Hey Darylina.."

Fuck, great...Merle. Just what he needed when he was trying to get ready for a Maybe date.

"Hey.." he mumbled, trying to slick a cow lick down that always seemed to stick straight up after he showered. After the night that he and Merle had fought the same night that His grill had caught fire, Merle had sent him his latest negative drug screen results. It wasn't proof positive he was off the drugs to him just an indication that drugs were hard to come by in prison. But Merle was trying, so Daryl was too.

"You sound rushed Baby brother."

"Hmm" he grunted as he patted down his hair. What the fuck would hold his hair down? "I'm going out." He muttered.

"What? Where?"

He didn't blame Merle for sounding surprised he never went out. "Got a ...date"

"You don't sound to sure." Merle hackled out a laugh. "Who with?"

"My neighbour, Carol.." he muttered regretting this conversation already.

"Well I'll be damned." Merle muttered. "You still see my friend Axel every once in a while?" Merle asked and kept talking when Daryl grunted yes. "Tell him I owe him 50$ he was right, you ain't gay."

"Pffffttt...Fuck off Merle." He said as he successfully fixed his hair.

"Huh what's the world coming too when you might be getting pussy tonight and I won't.." Merle muttered.

"Merle...fuck off!" He said more forcefully.

Merle hackled, "I'm just messing with you. My times up anyway. You still coming on Sunday?"

"Yeah.."

"Alright...and Daryl?"

Daryl paused his finger hovering over the End call.

"For once in your life relax and have fun".

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He was five minutes early, was that too eager? He wasn't sure maybe he should wait in the lobby of her building for a few minutes. Suddenly the door buzzed, and the intercom came on. "I saw you walking over Daryl, come on up."

Fuck her voice. Shivers ran down his spine as he found himself getting hard just at the sound of her voice.

Fuck no, time to think unsexy thoughts he groaned as he took the elevator to her apartment. Merle farting, potatoes, Gerry from work's stained teeth, gutting a squirrel, squirrel brains. He rattled all this off in his head as head walked toward her door, a well of anxiety opening up in his stomach. The door opened and she looked her head out.

"Fuck me.." he whispered under his breath. She was wearing a short red dress that hugged her in all the right places. Her smile lit up her face. He stood in front of her, gaping like an idiot. Speechless and spellbound at how beautiful she looked.

Carol smiled taking his hand, smiling up at him she whispered "You look amazing...nice shirt"


	5. Chapter 5

AN: so I love this little story but I have no real direction I wanted it to go:) it was o my gonna be a one shot but i love to make you all happy. It's become my little outlet for when I need to vomit rainbows. Pure fluff. If you have any requests you would like to see happen let me know. Also if anyone has any separate unrelated prompts, you can pm me or let me know on tumblr. I am thejadehermit on tumblr :) let me know what you think

I do not own or profit from The Walking Dead

Chapter 5

She'd asked him out, she would need to be the one to come up with a date idea.

Carol had spent the last two days trying to make plan a date with Daryl and had become increasingly frustrated.

Go out dancing? Didn't seem like it would be his thing, most certainly was not hers.

Bowling, not special enough.

Diner and a movie seemed so cliched.

Carol wanted special. Hell she wanted to paint him naked she though with a groan as she saw him heading into his kitchen with only a towel the day of their date.

"Oh my god...drop the towel." She'd half moaned to an empty apartment, watching from her bedroom window. She grabbed her sketchbook and tried to work out the contours of his ass from what she could see under that towel. Oh god, she really was a pervert.

He was so shy, she was sure he was going to feel awkward meeting her tonight. She needed to lay all her cards on the table. Show him exactly where her thoughts were. No need to let him wonder. That's when she'd figured out what to do.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You look amazing...nice shirt."

Carol had to hold off a grin at the way Daryl's face flushed at her compliment.

"Thanks..you too, ... I mean nice dress.."

Oh wow his voice. Low and rough it was sending chills down her spine. Not what she had expected. It was better.

He was flustered, it was endearing. She had a feeling that making him blush would be her new favourite thing.

"Thanks," she smiled with a wink "I wore it for you."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You sure you won't get in trouble for doing this?"

Daryl hurried along trying to keep up with Carol who had a hold of his fingertips leading him through the maze of hallways that lead to her office at the art college.

She squeezed his hand as she looked over her shoulder with a grin and he felt that same surge of heat pool in his stomach. He wasn't sure how she did it but she was as adorable as fuck and sexy at the same time.

This had been the greatest date of his life. Hell, it was probably the greatest night of his life. Carol was amazing. She had a way of putting him at ease that he'd never felt before with anyone in his lifetime.

They'd started the night at a little restaurant down by the beach. She was easy talk to, and easy not to talk to, too. There was no uncomfortable silences. She didn't seem to feel the need to fill silences with empty chatter. That was something that always made him feel awkward. He wasn't good at small talk. Never had been.

After dinner she'd kicked off her shoes and had wanted to walk on the beach. She'd slipped her hand in his like it was the most natural thing to do in the world. Softly teasing him to take off his shoes so they could dip their feet in the water.

He'd finally agreed, they'd been standing along the shore, letting the waves wash over the top of their feet, she'd been squealing in laughter with each wave that the water was freezing. A slight buzz was flowing through him, he'd had two beer at supper, not drunk, just a warmth flowing through his chest. He'd picked her up as a new wave approached. Both hands on her waist he held her off the ground her toes dangling just above the water. She'd stopped laughing, her expression intense as he lowered her down. Her body sliding down his own, her front coming in full contact with his own. She'd wrapped her arms around his neck. Not wanting him to let go.

"I wish you could see your face right now..." she murmured staring at him with a thoughtful look on her face. She'd pushed a stray strand of hair out of his eyes and he hadn't been able to stop himself from nuzzling her hand. "I want to show you something," she'd said with a secretive grin.

That's how they'd ended up here, sneaking into her studio office at eleven pm at night. He felt like a teenager sneaking in somewhere he wasn't supposed to.

"Our offices doubles as studio space, management don't mind if we are here on off hours." She said

They got to her office and she flicked on the light. He'd grinned at how neat and organized it was. Somehow he'd been expecting that. The far wall was filled with windows, and he could see the back side of an easel and canvas.

She gripped his hand pulling him towards the canvas, stopping just behind it.

"For so long, I had no motivation to do what I loved, even if Ed would have let me."

He felt a twinge of hatred for the man she had been married to. The asshole hadn't known what he had. He'd thrown it away. She deserved so much more than that.

"Even when Ed died I worried, that it would never come back to me. The first time I saw you, I felt it. It was there, like a rose blooming. Hope" she stared at him and he felt the breath stutter in his chest. "It didn't hurt that you are amazing to look at from across the way" she giggled. "You became my muse, in the least stalker/ creepy way possible," she paused to laugh "and I wanted to say thank you."

She walked behind the canvas her hand gripping his own and he felt his breath catch in his throat.

It was him, on the canvas. Her image was like a picture in some ways, other ways it was not. He'd never looked at himself that way, objectively. He couldn't believe she saw him that way.

He turned to her, her face had a cringe of fear, like she was waiting for his anger or disgust. He was awed that she put herself out there for him, despite her past with her husband she still took a chance and showed him this. Trusting him.

He put his hands on her cheeks, pressing his forehead to hers. Eyes locked, he could feel her breath blowing over his skin. That's when he realized that he'd seen the exact same thing in her, as she had in him. Hope. Pulling her closer, their lips met.

Xxxxxx


End file.
